Is there a difference in outcomes between the first and second surgical procedures in patients who have bilateral shoulder operations?

Abstract

Some patients who have shoulder surgery on 1 shoulder go on to have surgery on their contralateral shoulder. It is unclear whether the clinical improvements following the second surgical procedure are as significant as the improvements after the first surgical procedure. All patients who underwent surgery on both shoulders performed by a single surgeon between March 2013 and June 2018 were eligible for inclusion. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were obtained preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years for both shoulders. Scores were then compared based on hand dominance and which shoulder was treated first. Complications were also recorded. Overall, 105 patients (210 surgical procedures) were included. Of the patients, 66 underwent bilateral open shoulder surgery and 39 underwent bilateral arthroscopic shoulder surgery. There was a significant reduction in VAS scores from preoperative to postoperative levels following surgery (5.9 before surgery vs. 1.7 after surgery). We found no difference in VAS scores at any time point when comparing whether the dominant or nondominant shoulder was operated on first. Significantly higher VAS scores were observed at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months following the first shoulder operation compared with the second; by 6 months and beyond, there was no longer a difference. Patients who undergo bilateral shoulder surgery have more pain in the first 3 months following their first shoulder operation compared with their second. However, there is no difference in pain scores at 6 months and beyond between shoulders.